Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

बाला बालेन्दुसदृशी रक्तवस्त्रानुलेपना । उषःकाले तु ध्यातव्या सन्ध्या सन्धान उत्तमे

Transliteration

bālā bālendusadṛśī raktavastrānulepanā | uṣaḥkāle tu dhyātavyā sandhyā sandhāna uttame

Translation

উষাকালে সন্ধ্যাকে ধ্যান করতে হয় এক কিশোরী রূপে—কোমল চন্দ্রের ন্যায়, রক্তবস্ত্র ও অনুলেপনে বিভূষিতা; এটাই সন্ধ্যা-সাধনার শ্রেষ্ঠ বিধি।

Word by Word

• बाला: a young girl; youthful (fem.)
• बाला: Viśeṣya (Qualificand)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• बालेन्दु-सदृशी: resembling the young moon
• बालेन्दु-सदृशी: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल-इन्दु + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive-determinative): 'बालेन्दोः सदृशी'

• रक्त-वस्त्र-अनुलेपना: with red clothing and anointment
• रक्त-वस्त्र-अनुलेपना: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): 'रक्तं वस्त्रं (यस्यानुलेपनं/या)'—having red garments and unguent

• उषः-काले: at dawn-time
• उषः-काले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उषस् (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'उषसः काले'

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ (contrast/emphasis)

• ध्यातव्या: should be meditated upon
• ध्यातव्या: Vidheyā (Predicate/Obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative) तव्यत्; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः: 'to be meditated upon'

• सन्ध्या: Sandhyā (twilight goddess/rite)
• सन्ध्या: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सन्धान: conjunction; junction (twilight)
• सन्धान: Viśeṣaṇa (Appositive descriptor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्धान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; here as appositive/descriptor

• उत्तमे: in the best (manner/context)
• उत्तमे: Adhikaraṇa (Reference/Context)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (locative of reference)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Revā Khaṇḍa narrative instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāvitrī-tīrtha (implied setting)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (as addressed in the sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At first light, a serene practitioner meditates on Sandhyā-devī appearing as a young maiden with a crescent-moon tenderness, red garments, red unguents, standing in a rosy dawn aura.

Characters & Entities

• Sandhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches that time (dawn) sanctifies practice, and that focused visualization steadies the mind for dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily a dhyāna-instruction; the chapter belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dawn-time meditation (uṣaḥkāla-dhyāna) on Sandhyā with a specified visual form (red attire, youthful moon-like radiance).